"Bucks begin festive period at home to Barwell"

Match Date : December 23rd, 2023 3:00 pm
Competition : Southern League Premier Central
Ground : New Bucks Head
Kick Off : 15:00

The Bucks kick off the festive period with a home game against Barwell.

The Canaries started the season in fine form, beating the Bucks 3-1 on the way to collecting 10 points from the opening five games. However, that win over Kevin Wilkin’s men precipitated a six-game stretch without a win, which saw Barwell slide down the table. Just two defeats in their 11 games since then, though, sees the Canaries currently in 11th, two points behind the Bucks  – albeit having played three games more.

After manager Ian King was appointed in May 2022, Barwell initially struggled under their new boss, picking up just nine points from the first ten games last season. However, the Canaries have been much improved since the turn of the year and are well in the playoff picture. What’s more, King’s men have done well on the road against fellow promotion hopefuls, with wins at Nuneaton and Redditch and respectable draws at Hitchin, Halesowen and Leamington.

The Canaries key man is captain Brady Hickey. The attacking midfielder is Barwell’s all-time top scorer and bagged a further 21 league goals last season. Another player to watch is Beck-Ray Enoru. The pacy young winger racked up 17 goals and 25 assists in 45 games last season and is among the league’s top scorers this campaign with eight goals to his name, including four in his last five outings.

The teams last met at the New Bucks Head six years ago in an FA Cup second qualifying round clash. Rob Edwards’ Bucks ran out 2-0 winners that day, and Kevin Wilkin will no doubt be hoping that his men can deliver a similar result this weekend.

The Bucks head into Saturday’s game ten unbeaten in the league – a run that was extended with last Sunday’s goalless draw against Nuneaton at Barwell’s Kirkby Road. What’s more, the Bucks have not conceded from open play in the last five games. Wilkin’s men will be aiming to climb back into the top five as soon as possible, and three points this Saturday could see the Bucks finish the day as high as 4th.

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MATCHDAY INFORMATION

Tickets for Saturday’s fixture will remain on sale up until kick-off and are available for purchase online in advance. See our ticketing page for further details.